NY’s Israeli Day Parade

We gather for one unifying reason: We love Israel.

Today tens of thousands of Americans will walk the streets of Manhattan with Israeli flags flying above them. They will wear hats of all different colors. They will wear t-shirts with the names of schools, synagogues and organizations. There will be speakers and music and falafel. For some it will be their first year marching and for others it will be their tenth or twentieth or even fortieth.

The Israel Day Parade is the largest gathering in the world in support of Israel. It has been held every year in New York since 1964. The parade goes north on Fifth Avenue from 57th Street to 74th Street. There is a parade concert in Central Park, and the Empire State Building lights its tower up in a blue and white pattern. This year Israel Deputy Defense Minister MK Danny Danon and former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton will be speaking at the parade.

From all different backgrounds and parts of the world, we gather today for one unifying reason: We love Israel. Every year during high school when I marched in the parade I thought about how amazing it was to see so many diverse groups come together to support this tiny, almost invisible country across the world. The Israeli flag in our arms meant we were proud. We were proud of our soldiers, of our families that lived there, of our ideals that echoed through the words of Hatikva. And after living in Israel for the past 14 years, I can think of other flags to wave above me.

A flag for the state-of-the-art Israeli hospitals where my five children were born.

A flag for the beautiful highways and roads and tunnels that we traveled on from Eilat to the Hermon.

A flag for all the policemen who checked every forgotten knapsack on the street and for all the bus drivers who navigated the narrowest of streets without flinching.

A flag for the hundreds of hiking trails and stunning views that we were blessed to see over the years.

A flag for the ancient prayers at Hebron and the newborn words uttered beside the Kotel’s worn, golden stones.

A flag for the newspaper man who offered me a blessing with my coffee.

And a flag for the airport that welcomed us home each time with a fountain of endless water and a sky so bright it hurt my eyes.

A flag for the teachers there who shared their wisdom and the friends that shared their hearts.

A flag for the people who came before us to build up the desert and for those who came after us to continue.

A flag for the tears and the laughter and the hope of a nation coming home.

A flag for all the Torah learning emanating forth at all hours of the day.

We hold our banners above our heads and in our souls. Who we are. Where we come from. What we are proud of. When the world denies Israel its right to defend itself, we stand up and protest. Because we want to be by Israel’s side. In hard times. And victorious times. And all the shades in between. We know what it means to be a nation without a homeland, and we don’t want to be homeless again. Israel is the source of our strength and our courage. It is the direction of our prayers as we turn towards the East and dream of Jerusalem.

At Jewish weddings we sing after the chuppah: “If I Forget you Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her cunning. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I remember thee not. If I don’t raise Jerusalem above my highest joy.” In the moment of our greatest joy, we remind ourselves of an even greater joy. As individuals, as couples, as families, as communities. We remind ourselves of our beliefs and our loyalties. We remember that our happiness is intricately intertwined with the lives of our brethren across the ocean, with the holiest city in the world and with the Land that welcomes us with open arms.

I remember you Israel. Your smells and your sounds and your people. I remember your roads and your yearnings and your skies full of promise. I remember your wars and your tears and your losses. I remember the song of your language and the intensity of your light. I remember how you welcomed me when I couldn’t find my way. I will stand by you like you stood by me.

Israel, we are here for you. In the tens of thousands. With shirts of every different color and songs of every kind of note. We stand for your security and your peace. We stand for your people and your cities. We stand for you like you stand for us.

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About the Author

Sara Debbie Gutfreund received her BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA in Family Therapy from the University of North Texas. She has taught parenting classes and self-development seminars and provided adolescent counseling. She writes extensively for many online publications and in published anthologies of Jewish women's writing. She and her husband spent 14 wonderful years raising their five children in Israel, and now live in Blue Ridge Estates in Waterbury, Connecticut, where Sara Debbie enjoys skiing and running in her free time.

Visitor Comments: 8

What glorious writing! I feel like getting onto the next plane out of Johannesburg.You really captured the beauty of Israel.Well done!

(7)
Fred,
June 3, 2013 5:47 AM

Great. I Wish I Could Participate

And be there to help and show support

(6)
RIVKA,
June 3, 2013 2:57 AM

ISRAEL IS OUR ONLY HOME...

What a beautiful article... the tears are running down my face from the honesty and sincerety of your words. WE ALL NEED TO GO BACK HOME.

(5)
Angélique,
June 3, 2013 2:27 AM

You will never see this in France, becoming an islamic country!

I admire this, you will never see this in France, jews started to live like in a ghetto, power of the heat towards Israël and the jewish people, from the extreme left movements and the high influence of islam.

We too marched for Israel in Toronto Canada albeit on a much smaller scale - with as much love,fervour and joy for our wonderful land !!!!! Our Israeli and Canadian flags waving high - proclaiming pride of who we are and what we stand for !!!

(3)
Anonymous,
June 2, 2013 4:49 PM

Wishing I was there...

The words that you put together touched my heart, each line, word for word is true and my heart longs for the day I can step foot in Israel. I wish I could be at parade today! May we all stay strong and speak the truth and not be afraid. We are a blessed nation and blessed people.

(2)
Paul,
June 2, 2013 4:43 PM

Never in Europe: what a shame

Such a parade will never happen in Europe. Those who love Israel should be threatened by those so numerous hating Israel and Jews, while the police, the journalists, the Judges, the politicians.. should close their eyes.

(1)
Rina belinki Oxman,
June 2, 2013 3:13 PM

Amazing

I wish I knew about that parade earlier , I would have participated with great pride

I just got married and have an important question: Can we eat rice on Passover? My wife grew up eating it, and I did not. Is this just a matter of family tradition?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

The Torah instructs a Jew not to eat (or even possess) chametz all seven days of Passover (Exodus 13:3). "Chametz" is defined as any of the five grains (wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye) that came into contact with water for more than 18 minutes. Chametz is a serious Torah prohibition, and for that reason we take extra protective measures on Passover to prevent any mistakes.

Hence the category of food called "kitniyot" (sometimes referred to generically as "legumes"). This includes rice, corn, soy beans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Even though kitniyot cannot technically become chametz, Ashkenazi Jews do not eat them on Passover. Why?

Products of kitniyot often appear like chametz products. For example, it can be hard to distinguish between rice flour (kitniyot) and wheat flour (chametz). Also, chametz grains may become inadvertently mixed together with kitniyot. Therefore, to prevent confusion, all kitniyot were prohibited.

In Jewish law, there is one important distinction between chametz and kitniyot. During Passover, it is forbidden to even have chametz in one's possession (hence the custom of "selling chametz"). Whereas it is permitted to own kitniyot during Passover and even to use it - not for eating - but for things like baby powder which contains cornstarch. Similarly, someone who is sick is allowed to take medicine containing kitniyot.

What about derivatives of kitniyot - e.g. corn oil, peanut oil, etc? This is a difference of opinion. Many will use kitniyot-based oils on Passover, while others are strict and only use olive or walnut oil.

Finally, there is one product called "quinoa" (pronounced "ken-wah" or "kin-o-ah") that is permitted on Passover even for Ashkenazim. Although it resembles a grain, it is technically a grass, and was never included in the prohibition against kitniyot. It is prepared like rice and has a very high protein content. (It's excellent in "cholent" stew!) In the United States and elsewhere, mainstream kosher supervision agencies certify it "Kosher for Passover" -- look for the label.

Interestingly, the Sefardi Jewish community does not have a prohibition against kitniyot. This creates the strange situation, for example, where one family could be eating rice on Passover - when their neighbors will not. So am I going to guess here that you are Ashkenazi and your wife is Sefardi. Am I right?

Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (1194-1270), known as Nachmanides, and by the acronym of his name, Ramban. Born in Spain, he was a physician by trade, but was best-known for authoring brilliant commentaries on the Bible, Talmud, and philosophy. In 1263, King James of Spain authorized a disputation (religious debate) between Nachmanides and a Jewish convert to Christianity, Pablo Christiani. Nachmanides reluctantly agreed to take part, only after being assured by the king that he would have full freedom of expression. Nachmanides won the debate, which earned the king's respect and a prize of 300 gold coins. But this incensed the Church: Nachmanides was charged with blasphemy and he was forced to flee Spain. So at age 72, Nachmanides moved to Jerusalem. He was struck by the desolation in the Holy City -- there were so few Jews that he could not even find a minyan to pray. Nachmanides immediately set about rebuilding the Jewish community. The Ramban Synagogue stands today in Jerusalem's Old City, a living testimony to his efforts.

It's easy to be intimidated by mean people. See through their mask. Underneath is an insecure and unhappy person. They are alienated from others because they are alienated from themselves.

Have compassion for them. Not pity, not condemning, not fear, but compassion. Feel for their suffering. Identify with their core humanity. You might be able to influence them for the good. You might not. Either way your compassion frees you from their destructiveness. And if you would like to help them change, compassion gives you a chance to succeed.

It is the nature of a person to be influenced by his fellows and comrades (Rambam, Hil. De'os 6:1).

We can never escape the influence of our environment. Our life-style impacts upon us and, as if by osmosis, penetrates our skin and becomes part of us.

Our environment today is thoroughly computerized. Computer intelligence is no longer a science-fiction fantasy, but an everyday occurrence. Some computers can even carry out complete interviews. The computer asks questions, receives answers, interprets these answers, and uses its newly acquired information to ask new questions.

Still, while computers may be able to think, they cannot feel. The uniqueness of human beings is therefore no longer in their intellect, but in their emotions.

We must be extremely careful not to allow ourselves to become human computers that are devoid of feelings. Our culture is in danger of losing this essential aspect of humanity, remaining only with intellect. Because we communicate so much with unfeeling computers, we are in danger of becoming disconnected from our own feelings and oblivious to the feelings of others.

As we check in at our jobs, and the computer on our desk greets us with, "Good morning, Mr. Smith. Today is Wednesday, and here is the agenda for today," let us remember that this machine may indeed be brilliant, but it cannot laugh or cry. It cannot be happy if we succeed, or sad if we fail.

Today I shall...

try to remain a human being in every way - by keeping in touch with my own feelings and being sensitive to the feelings of others.

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